Hide and Seek (2005)
Directed by John Polson
David Callaway tries to piece together his life in the wake of his wife's suicide and has been left to raise his nine-year-old daughter, Emily on his own. David is at first amused to discover that Emily has created an imaginary friend named 'Charlie', but it isn't long before 'Charlie' develops a sinister and violent side, and as David struggles with his daughter's growing emotional problems, he comes to the frightening realisation that 'Charlie' isn't just a figment of Emily's imagination.
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What critics compared Hide and Seek to
While the title sequence tune by composer John Ottman is an obvious homage to the lilting lullaby that opens Rosemary's Baby, the scenes establishing David and Emily's escape into the country are straight ports from Bryan Forbes' The Stepford Wives.
De Niro may have thousands of theoretical co-stars who could appear here but only two movies with that storyline. And if you figure critics were barred from blowing open the ending of 2005’s Hide and Seek, well, you incorrectly presume they were even allowed to see that film early.
The Whisper Man sometimes resembles another De Niro thriller, Hide and Seek—though this one is far better. Like Hide and Seek, The Whisper Man deals with presences that might or might not be imaginary.
…could have been released in between the evil clone horror Godsend and imaginary friend thriller Hide and Seek, the kind of bottom-tier project that offers the actor a nice big cheque and the audience a nice little nap…
Even with solid acting and a gifted director, the Australian flick is identical to any film about a creepy kid with a neurotic parent (2005’s Hide and Seek, 2011’s Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark, the list is endless), you’ve yawned through it all before.
Her darting eyes belie her age, and her detached, Stepford-like monotone sends chills even in dumb comedies such as "Sweet Home Alabama" (2002) and "Uptown Girls" (2003).